What Happened to the NCAA Investigation of USC?
by Anony Mous
It was in April of last year when word spread through college football that Reggie Bush’s family had been living in a $757,000 house rent free. As soon as this was revealed the family moved, Bush denied any knowledge, and everyone at USC got really quiet. Would USC have to forfeit games? Would Bush have to forfeit his Heisman? What about all the money from a BCS Bowl game appearance? Would it hurt Reggie Bush’s draft position? The week before the NFL Draft this story dominated the news and did so until the NFL Draft happened. Then in the talk of draft grades and rookie performances the Bush story disappeared from the news. Other than an exhaustive investigation by Yahoo Sports which was released in September 2006 (Yahoo! Investigation) nothing has really been said or done about it. (Editor's note: This article was drafted but not posted prior to the further Yahoo! story on this matter appearing today Audio Tapes Linked To Bush).
This investigation clearly identifies 9 times, including the infamous "house", where Reggie or someone in his family received money from two marketing companies competing for Reggie’s business. All told the money received by Bush and his family totals over $100,000. If this is true, then USC played the 2005 season with an ineligible player. During this same time, Dwayne Jarrett was also accepting benefits, yet he was not even suspended one game. The NCAA rulebook clearly states that all games should be forfeited along with all TV and Bowl money being returned.
All parties were given the option to comment on the article and must chose to decline comment. Notably, USC released a statement saying they couldn’t comment on an ongoing investigation, yet the NCAA had this to say, “"Now that certain individuals have spoken publicly, we hope they will now speak with the NCAA." Clearly, the NCAA had not done much work between April and September. In almost 6 months the NCAA had yet to talk to anyone who might know anything about this situation. As we near the end of January, still nothing has been said or done by the NCAA in regards to resolving this matter. The NCAA continues to destroy its credibility with the obvious double standard in which it operates. Who knows why the NCAA drops the hammer on one school and lets another off with a free pass? SMU’s case is clearly documented and that school has never recovered. University of Washington fans remember when the hammer fell on them in 1993 and 2004, and Alabama fans remember the same fate from 2001. Similar cases exist in college basketball where both Michigan and OSU have forfeited Final Four appearances. In the past 3 years we’ve seen Ohio State dodge a number of bullets and now USC appears to be following suit.
So I ask again, what happened to the NCAA investigation of USC?
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Friday, January 19, 2007
Parents REALLY just don't understand
Okay, imagine you're an All American quarterback in high school. As a matter of fact, you are the player of the year according to Parade magazine. You go on to college, go 8-0 as a starter in your freshman year in the always tough SEC, but still decide after your freshman season transferring is the best option for you. So you have all kinds of suitors lined up for your services, right? Maybe USC will come calling, or Florida State. Troy Smith just left Ohio State, they need a QB right? Chad Henne only has one year left at Michigan, and you have to sit out a year anyway, so that seems perfect. And what about Oklahoma? A year removed from Bomar-gate, the Sooners are still searching to fill a QB void. So were do you end up? Back at the school you chose to transfer from, as a regular student. Wait, that can't be right?!?!
This my friends is the saga of Mitch Mustain. Mustain accomplished all of the aforementioned things, and oddly enough can't seem to find a school now that he has been released from his commitment to Arkansas. Today, after a search for a new home that only found one serious taker, Mustain re-enrolled at Arkansas. He still intends to transfer at the end of the semester.
Who wouldn't want an all American quarterback to groom for a year? Well apparently nobody, but Tulsa. Louisville told Mustain they weren't interested, and rumors Mustain met with Bob Stoops were found to be unsubstantiated. Only Tulsa (where his former high school coach is now the offensive coordinator) welcomed Mitch with open arms, but apparently he has his eyes on playing for a BCS school. Rumor has it Mustain tried to get back on the Razorback squad, but the team voted against having him back. So now Mitch gets to walk around Fayetteville for a semester, and will have to deal with Lord knows what kinds of verbal abuse and whispers for the next 4 or so months.
How does one get into such a messed up situation? Well, this is where the story gets tricky. Mitch didn't do much of anything, really. His parents put him in this position. Mustain's parents, apparently not happy with the run oriented Razorback offense, went to Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles and in a nutshell asked he fire head coach Houston Nutt (yes you read that right. I'm still in shock I typed it). Mustain played in a spread offense in high school, and the parents were under the impression that is how things would be at Arkansas. Great parents, huh? Things aren't going their way, so they let it be known. Their failure to let Mustain handle his own problems have left him untouchable to most schools. No head coach wants to touch this package deal, and I don't blame them. Mustain will be fortunate to play D-1 football again, much less at another BCS school. The foolish actions of Mustain's parents have potentially ruined his college prospects, which in turn could potentially damage his chances at the NFL.
Let this be a lesson, parents. Allow your kids to grow up and learn on their own. Especially at Mustain's age. It usually does more damage than good when parents are over-protective of their children. Mustain defenders will argue Nutt did not keep promises to Mustain and other recruits, in regards to how the offense will be run. Still, that is no excuse. They add new wrinkles to my job everyday. I wonder if my mom can make the bad man stop? If Mustain was unhappy, fine. Move on, and move on quietly. Don't burn any bridges or make a nasty scene upon your exit. Unfortunately this is exactly what has happened, and now his reputation is damaged. And as I watch all this unfold, I can't help but wonder.....How would Mitch have handled all of this? I bet he wonders, too. And better yet, I bet he wishes he would have had the chance to find out.
This my friends is the saga of Mitch Mustain. Mustain accomplished all of the aforementioned things, and oddly enough can't seem to find a school now that he has been released from his commitment to Arkansas. Today, after a search for a new home that only found one serious taker, Mustain re-enrolled at Arkansas. He still intends to transfer at the end of the semester.
Who wouldn't want an all American quarterback to groom for a year? Well apparently nobody, but Tulsa. Louisville told Mustain they weren't interested, and rumors Mustain met with Bob Stoops were found to be unsubstantiated. Only Tulsa (where his former high school coach is now the offensive coordinator) welcomed Mitch with open arms, but apparently he has his eyes on playing for a BCS school. Rumor has it Mustain tried to get back on the Razorback squad, but the team voted against having him back. So now Mitch gets to walk around Fayetteville for a semester, and will have to deal with Lord knows what kinds of verbal abuse and whispers for the next 4 or so months.
How does one get into such a messed up situation? Well, this is where the story gets tricky. Mitch didn't do much of anything, really. His parents put him in this position. Mustain's parents, apparently not happy with the run oriented Razorback offense, went to Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles and in a nutshell asked he fire head coach Houston Nutt (yes you read that right. I'm still in shock I typed it). Mustain played in a spread offense in high school, and the parents were under the impression that is how things would be at Arkansas. Great parents, huh? Things aren't going their way, so they let it be known. Their failure to let Mustain handle his own problems have left him untouchable to most schools. No head coach wants to touch this package deal, and I don't blame them. Mustain will be fortunate to play D-1 football again, much less at another BCS school. The foolish actions of Mustain's parents have potentially ruined his college prospects, which in turn could potentially damage his chances at the NFL.
Let this be a lesson, parents. Allow your kids to grow up and learn on their own. Especially at Mustain's age. It usually does more damage than good when parents are over-protective of their children. Mustain defenders will argue Nutt did not keep promises to Mustain and other recruits, in regards to how the offense will be run. Still, that is no excuse. They add new wrinkles to my job everyday. I wonder if my mom can make the bad man stop? If Mustain was unhappy, fine. Move on, and move on quietly. Don't burn any bridges or make a nasty scene upon your exit. Unfortunately this is exactly what has happened, and now his reputation is damaged. And as I watch all this unfold, I can't help but wonder.....How would Mitch have handled all of this? I bet he wonders, too. And better yet, I bet he wishes he would have had the chance to find out.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Playoffs???? You want to talk about Playoffs?
Having had the chance to digest the 2006 CFB season, I look at what many people across the nation wants and that is a playoff system of some sort. Who would have thought that the ingredient to get this fantasy rolling would be “gator aid”? First let me give Florida some love for winning the crystal egg when not many outside the southeast thought it possible. That being said, their victory plus some other factors beg some interesting questions. Most football pundits thought from late August to January 7th that Ohio State was the unquestioned #1 team in the nation. Everyone else was fighting for #2. On January 9th those same pundits wondered if they had been watching an illusion. Not only did the Gators dispel the notion of the Buckeyes being number one, they did so in convincing fashion. But they were not the only ones that played mythbusters during the BCS games; Oh no....USC climbed back into the saddle after a bad loss to UCLA, to show Michigan that Pete Carroll and Co. that they could “fight on” and beat a very quality opponent. And lets not forget Cinderella in all of this. The Blue Turf Broncos of Boise State lived their desert dream against a tough Sooner squad that returned the best RB in the nation. Don’t give me the whole “they beat ‘em on trick plays BS either. Boise had a double digit lead well into the second half without running one unconventional play. Plus they did not give up the dream after losing that lead with just over a minute left to go. So throw all this together with LSU’s impressive performance against Notre Dame and you have 4 teams left that could be the best in the country. Playoff formats can be debated at another time, but I think its time for everyone to realize the need for something different. So yes Coach Mora, I do want to talk about playoffs.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Saban sits down with ESPN
Nearly two weeks after taking the Alabama job, Nick Saban sat down with ESPN's Chris Mortensen in a two part interview to explain the rationale behind his decision (video coming soon). During the time prior to this interview, Saban has been called everything but a child of God (well, except in Alabama where he may have been referred to as God; at minimum a god). Don Shula has ripped him a new one, the LSU fan base has labeled him a traitor, and it's been rumored there is a picture of Saban next to "liar" in Webster's latest edition.
Frankly I am tired of this issue, and the hype surrounding it. Despite that, I couldn't help but watch last night and even write about it today. All the time folks were questioning Saban's character, did anybody really ask him why he lied? Did anybody make an effort to make sense of his actions in this situation? No, not really. Well at least until Sunday evening, and then again Monday evening.
As far as why Saban took the job, I understand that completely. What man wouldn't want to be in a situation that he felt was better for him? Saban enjoys the college game and felt the Alabama job was a more "secure" situation. He seems to have a genuine passion for helping develop young players, something you can't do much of at the professional level. Saban did what was in his heart, and that's all any of us can ask for. Good for him!
Now comes the lying part. Why did Saban flat out say he was not interested in the Alabama job. Well in the interview he explained he was not at the time he made that bold statement. Fair enough, I suppose. I guess a lot can happen in, oh...48 or so hours. Even so, he went on to say, denying going to Alabama was the only way he could finish his NFL season in peace; to not be a distraction to his players. Again, fair enough. But still, I just couldn't get over the fact he lied.
When the news first came out that Saban lied, I thought it was bush league. I thought he should have dropped a "No comment", and moved on. I thought he could have, and should have, done anything but lie. But while listening to his interview, I put myself in his shoes. What would I do? Would I have done the same thing? I mean how many times have I sought employment yet didn't tell my boss, and all the while act as if everything was just fine? How many times have I filled out a job application and checked off the box "do not contact present employer", because I didn't want my current company to know? Is that so bad. Ask yourself, have you ever done that?
In my eyes, that is all Saban did. He did it on a much larger scale, and it affected more people than I ever will. But really he didn't do anything millions of people don't do everyday. He's been getting unfairly raked across the coals for doing what we all do: lie about leaving a job until we know we really can leave. And let's be honest; if he would have said "I am considering the Alabama job" people would still be calling him greedy, selfish, sleazy and basically everything else he's been called (except liar, I suppose). Maybe he didn't take the highest of roads, but maybe it was the best road all things considered. I couldn't imagine what my life would be like worried about what millions of people think of me. Trying to please everybody, all of the time. Heck, it's hard enough pleasing my wife.
All I'm saying is, cut the man a break. Coaching is a strange business. If a coach can be fired on a whim, why is it so bad of they leave on a whim? The Dolphins will be fine, and obviously Alabama is in good shape.
Besides, maybe honesty isn't always the best policy. Just ask Jim Mora, Jr.
Frankly I am tired of this issue, and the hype surrounding it. Despite that, I couldn't help but watch last night and even write about it today. All the time folks were questioning Saban's character, did anybody really ask him why he lied? Did anybody make an effort to make sense of his actions in this situation? No, not really. Well at least until Sunday evening, and then again Monday evening.
As far as why Saban took the job, I understand that completely. What man wouldn't want to be in a situation that he felt was better for him? Saban enjoys the college game and felt the Alabama job was a more "secure" situation. He seems to have a genuine passion for helping develop young players, something you can't do much of at the professional level. Saban did what was in his heart, and that's all any of us can ask for. Good for him!
Now comes the lying part. Why did Saban flat out say he was not interested in the Alabama job. Well in the interview he explained he was not at the time he made that bold statement. Fair enough, I suppose. I guess a lot can happen in, oh...48 or so hours. Even so, he went on to say, denying going to Alabama was the only way he could finish his NFL season in peace; to not be a distraction to his players. Again, fair enough. But still, I just couldn't get over the fact he lied.
When the news first came out that Saban lied, I thought it was bush league. I thought he should have dropped a "No comment", and moved on. I thought he could have, and should have, done anything but lie. But while listening to his interview, I put myself in his shoes. What would I do? Would I have done the same thing? I mean how many times have I sought employment yet didn't tell my boss, and all the while act as if everything was just fine? How many times have I filled out a job application and checked off the box "do not contact present employer", because I didn't want my current company to know? Is that so bad. Ask yourself, have you ever done that?
In my eyes, that is all Saban did. He did it on a much larger scale, and it affected more people than I ever will. But really he didn't do anything millions of people don't do everyday. He's been getting unfairly raked across the coals for doing what we all do: lie about leaving a job until we know we really can leave. And let's be honest; if he would have said "I am considering the Alabama job" people would still be calling him greedy, selfish, sleazy and basically everything else he's been called (except liar, I suppose). Maybe he didn't take the highest of roads, but maybe it was the best road all things considered. I couldn't imagine what my life would be like worried about what millions of people think of me. Trying to please everybody, all of the time. Heck, it's hard enough pleasing my wife.
All I'm saying is, cut the man a break. Coaching is a strange business. If a coach can be fired on a whim, why is it so bad of they leave on a whim? The Dolphins will be fine, and obviously Alabama is in good shape.
Besides, maybe honesty isn't always the best policy. Just ask Jim Mora, Jr.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
How much does recruiting matter?
By Zachary Armstrong
If you have ever spent anytime on a recruiting or college football message board you have heard two sides to this question. One side will tell you that the ranking system in place by Rivals or Scouts is overrated and doesn’t matter to a team’s success. The other side will tell you that it does matter and is a direct correlation to a team’s future success. Having heard both sides I decided to do a little research of my own to determine which one is true.
Most football fans will agree that juniors and seniors carry a football team in college football. To see how effective Rival's rankings are I decided to look at the recruiting classes of 2003 and 2004 because these years would make up the juniors and seniors for the 2006 college football season. Florida, the 2006 national champion, had an average class ranking of 3 according to Rivals. Many will say that Florida also had many freshman that helped them win it all this year and that freshman class was ranked 2nd by rivals. Ohio State, who played Florida in the national championship game, had an average ranking of 25. However, that is a bit skewed due to Ohio State having limited scholarships in 2003. The average recruit ranking was 11th in the country in 2003 in which they finished 41st overall. Ohio State also had many 5th year seniors from a class that was ranked 5th by Rivals.
Many experts and football fans considered LSU and USC the most talented teams of 2006. LSU had the best class of 2003 and the 2nd best class in 2004. USC had the 3rd best recruiting class of 2003 and the best class of 2004. These teams finished 3rd and 4th in the final AP poll.
The average rank of the recruiting class of the top 25, AP poll, for 2003 and 2004 is 32.94. Teams such as Boise State and BYU bring this average down. Taking out the three lowest ranked classes from 2003 and 2004 you get an average class ranking of 24.7. Out of the final top 25, AP poll, only 10 teams never had a top 25 recruiting class in 2003 or 2004 and only 3 teams never had a top 50 recruiting class in 2003 or 2004.
There were two things during this research that I found very interesting. The first was how many teams finished within 4 spots of one of class rankings from 2003 or 2004. Eleven teams finished within 4 spots of their class ranking during those years. The next thing I found very interesting was that the BCS conferences had only one team, Wake Forest, finish in the top 25 with an average recruiting class over 50. In fact the average recruiting class rank for teams that finished in the top 25, AP poll, from BCS conferences is 23 for 2003 and 2004.
After looking at all of these facts it is apparent to me that class rankings do matter to a team’s future success. While there will be teams that finish in the top 25 without having a great class it isn’t of common theme. After looking at the data one would think it would be almost impossible for a team from a BCS conference to finish in the top 25 without some kind of success in recruiting.
If you have ever spent anytime on a recruiting or college football message board you have heard two sides to this question. One side will tell you that the ranking system in place by Rivals or Scouts is overrated and doesn’t matter to a team’s success. The other side will tell you that it does matter and is a direct correlation to a team’s future success. Having heard both sides I decided to do a little research of my own to determine which one is true.
Most football fans will agree that juniors and seniors carry a football team in college football. To see how effective Rival's rankings are I decided to look at the recruiting classes of 2003 and 2004 because these years would make up the juniors and seniors for the 2006 college football season. Florida, the 2006 national champion, had an average class ranking of 3 according to Rivals. Many will say that Florida also had many freshman that helped them win it all this year and that freshman class was ranked 2nd by rivals. Ohio State, who played Florida in the national championship game, had an average ranking of 25. However, that is a bit skewed due to Ohio State having limited scholarships in 2003. The average recruit ranking was 11th in the country in 2003 in which they finished 41st overall. Ohio State also had many 5th year seniors from a class that was ranked 5th by Rivals.
Many experts and football fans considered LSU and USC the most talented teams of 2006. LSU had the best class of 2003 and the 2nd best class in 2004. USC had the 3rd best recruiting class of 2003 and the best class of 2004. These teams finished 3rd and 4th in the final AP poll.
The average rank of the recruiting class of the top 25, AP poll, for 2003 and 2004 is 32.94. Teams such as Boise State and BYU bring this average down. Taking out the three lowest ranked classes from 2003 and 2004 you get an average class ranking of 24.7. Out of the final top 25, AP poll, only 10 teams never had a top 25 recruiting class in 2003 or 2004 and only 3 teams never had a top 50 recruiting class in 2003 or 2004.
There were two things during this research that I found very interesting. The first was how many teams finished within 4 spots of one of class rankings from 2003 or 2004. Eleven teams finished within 4 spots of their class ranking during those years. The next thing I found very interesting was that the BCS conferences had only one team, Wake Forest, finish in the top 25 with an average recruiting class over 50. In fact the average recruiting class rank for teams that finished in the top 25, AP poll, from BCS conferences is 23 for 2003 and 2004.
After looking at all of these facts it is apparent to me that class rankings do matter to a team’s future success. While there will be teams that finish in the top 25 without having a great class it isn’t of common theme. After looking at the data one would think it would be almost impossible for a team from a BCS conference to finish in the top 25 without some kind of success in recruiting.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Todd Graham goes to Tulsa
Tulsa has found their new head coach, and they didn't even leave the conference. The Golden Hurricane lured Todd Graham back to Tulsa, after a one year stint with the Rice Owls. Graham was the defensive coordinator at Tulsa from 2003-2005.
I find this pretty surprising. Perhaps Graham and his family love Tulsa and he is emotionally tied to the town. Fair enough, I suppose. But just over a year ago, Graham spoke of a "renaissance" at Rice. After a 7-6 season and a bowl bid in 2006 (1-11 in 2005), it seemed Graham and Rice just may be on their way. Now this?
Rice alums, fans, and most importantly current players, must be sick right now. It's not enough for Graham to leave, but to leave for Tulsa is just a slap in the face.
I respect any man's decision to better himself and his family. But is there no loyalty anymore? Graham just signed an extension with Rice through 2012 on Wednesday. Approximately 48 hours later, he is being announced as Tulsa's replacement for Steve Kragthorpe. How disrespectful is that? I suppose Graham did not necessarily lie to Rice, but did signing that extension not mean ANYTHING to Graham?!?!
I wonder if he too chose a conference call as his means to say goodbye?
I find this pretty surprising. Perhaps Graham and his family love Tulsa and he is emotionally tied to the town. Fair enough, I suppose. But just over a year ago, Graham spoke of a "renaissance" at Rice. After a 7-6 season and a bowl bid in 2006 (1-11 in 2005), it seemed Graham and Rice just may be on their way. Now this?
Rice alums, fans, and most importantly current players, must be sick right now. It's not enough for Graham to leave, but to leave for Tulsa is just a slap in the face.
I respect any man's decision to better himself and his family. But is there no loyalty anymore? Graham just signed an extension with Rice through 2012 on Wednesday. Approximately 48 hours later, he is being announced as Tulsa's replacement for Steve Kragthorpe. How disrespectful is that? I suppose Graham did not necessarily lie to Rice, but did signing that extension not mean ANYTHING to Graham?!?!
I wonder if he too chose a conference call as his means to say goodbye?
Adrian Peterson and other early entrant news
Adrian Peterson has yet to reach a decision as to whether or not to enter the NFL draft. Reports from the Dallas Morning News on Wednesday stated Peterson was going to join Dwayne Jarrett and others and declare for the draft. However, Peterson has made no such statements. Yesterday Peterson released a statement saying "I have spent the last few days considering my options to either enter the NFL draft or stay at OU. The facts are that I have not hired any representation and I have not declared for the draft".
In other early entrant news, Tedd Ginn Jr. is still mulling over his options. It was deemed he suffered a sprained foot while celebrating, after he returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown in the Tostitos BCS Championship Game. He will have to wear a walking boot for "a few weeks" according to his father, Tedd Ginn Sr.*
Florida is awaiting word on five juniors who are considering the NFL draft. They did receive good news yesterday however, when Andre Caldwell announced he will return to Florida.
* = Source, Associated Press 2007
In other early entrant news, Tedd Ginn Jr. is still mulling over his options. It was deemed he suffered a sprained foot while celebrating, after he returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown in the Tostitos BCS Championship Game. He will have to wear a walking boot for "a few weeks" according to his father, Tedd Ginn Sr.*
Florida is awaiting word on five juniors who are considering the NFL draft. They did receive good news yesterday however, when Andre Caldwell announced he will return to Florida.
* = Source, Associated Press 2007
Heading into 2007....
Since we started this blog today, we figured no need to re-hash 2006. With that said, congratulations Florida fans!
With a new year and a new blog, it's time to start focusing on the new season. Coming soon we will have recruiting news, off season updates leading up to the spring games, NFL draft analysis, and anything we can cover involving college football.
Stay tuned.....
With a new year and a new blog, it's time to start focusing on the new season. Coming soon we will have recruiting news, off season updates leading up to the spring games, NFL draft analysis, and anything we can cover involving college football.
Stay tuned.....
Our first post.....WHOO HOOO!!!
The article that set us off.....
How Valuable is ESPN's Investment in Kirk Herbstreit's Football Knowledge?
by Ryan Ferguson
Kirk Herbstreit in an interview after he failed in his campaign to get Michigan rematched with his alma mater, Ohio State:"Here's the problem I had; I get paid to actually watch college football, from noon to 2 a.m. I watch every game there is, and I do that for 15 straight weeks. I'm in a position where I can make an opinion on more than, well right here on paper, it says Florida beat six top 25 teams ... I don't care. I don't care. I've watched Florida every week. Congratulations, 12-1 ... that's amazing. But am I going to penalize Michigan because the Big Ten is awful this year? Absolutely not. I don't care that they beat ND and ND is terrible. I don't care that they beat Wisconsin and we don't know how good Wisconsin is. I saw them play against every team this year."People can say look how they played against Ball State and look how they played against Northwestern. They were bored. The difference between that and Florida ... Florida was actually trying when they played and didn't execute against Georgia and Vanderbilt, and didn't execute against Kentucky and other teams they played."Herbstreit's argument during that period was this: despite Florida's obviously superior resume; despite Florida competing in a tougher conference and winning 12 games, including a conference championship; despite beating a Top 5 BCS Team in LSU and playing four top-ranked opponents, Herbstreit could tell simply by looking that Ohio State and Michigan were better teams than Florida could hope to be.In short, Herbstreit knows more about football than you, me, or anyone. He knows more than the voters. He is smarter than the BCS computer formulas. The facts weren't on his side, but he throws those out the window, because KIRK HERBSTREIT WATCHES FOOTBALL. KIRK HERBSTREIT KNOWS FOOTBALL.It was after this interview that I believe Herbstreit lost most of his credibility as a college football "analyst." He blasted Gary Danielson, throwing the CBS analyst's reputation under the bus when he suggested that perhaps Danielson was put up to his short "campaign" stint for Florida during the SEC Championship Game against Arkansas -- by the executive producer."When I was watching that game that they put that graphic up, the only thing I could think of was that the coordinating producer would force them to do something like that to kind of destroy any credibility they'd all built over the years, just obviously by standing up and talking about an SEC school."That is an incredibly arrogant and self-serving personal attack on a colleague who was guilty of nothing more than saying his mind -- something Herbstreit did for weeks after Michigan lost, campaigning day in and day out for a rematch.The only logical conclusion I can reach is that Herbstreit wanted to help his alma mater to avoid Florida. It may sound somewhat like a conspiracy theory, but I'll be darned if I can come up with any other reason.Kirk Herbstreit's final outburst in the interview I'm sure he'd rather forget included this statement: "I would just like to see Michigan and Ohio State go on to do well in their games."Whoops. Michigan was routed by USC and Florida speared the Buckeyes like a helpless wriggling fish.Herbstreit essentially batted a zero here, or a negative, if that's possible. His credibility is shot. The exact opposite of everything he predicted came true.Gary Danielson said all along, "I watch a lot of football too. But you know what? I don't know who the best team is. That's impossible to know. So you go by the resume. And Florida has the resume."Right on, Mr. Danielson. And now Florida has the crystal football, too.ESPN might ought to reconsider their investment in Kirk Herbstreit's couch-potatodom. It didn't appear to pay any dividends in the games that really matter. And Herbstreit himself ought to do some soul-searching after all of this.
This article pretty much sums up why we decided to publish our opinions. We watch college football every Saturday too, Kirk. If that is all the job requires maybe one day we at CFBParadise will get paid "to actually watch college football".
How Valuable is ESPN's Investment in Kirk Herbstreit's Football Knowledge?
by Ryan Ferguson
Kirk Herbstreit in an interview after he failed in his campaign to get Michigan rematched with his alma mater, Ohio State:"Here's the problem I had; I get paid to actually watch college football, from noon to 2 a.m. I watch every game there is, and I do that for 15 straight weeks. I'm in a position where I can make an opinion on more than, well right here on paper, it says Florida beat six top 25 teams ... I don't care. I don't care. I've watched Florida every week. Congratulations, 12-1 ... that's amazing. But am I going to penalize Michigan because the Big Ten is awful this year? Absolutely not. I don't care that they beat ND and ND is terrible. I don't care that they beat Wisconsin and we don't know how good Wisconsin is. I saw them play against every team this year."People can say look how they played against Ball State and look how they played against Northwestern. They were bored. The difference between that and Florida ... Florida was actually trying when they played and didn't execute against Georgia and Vanderbilt, and didn't execute against Kentucky and other teams they played."Herbstreit's argument during that period was this: despite Florida's obviously superior resume; despite Florida competing in a tougher conference and winning 12 games, including a conference championship; despite beating a Top 5 BCS Team in LSU and playing four top-ranked opponents, Herbstreit could tell simply by looking that Ohio State and Michigan were better teams than Florida could hope to be.In short, Herbstreit knows more about football than you, me, or anyone. He knows more than the voters. He is smarter than the BCS computer formulas. The facts weren't on his side, but he throws those out the window, because KIRK HERBSTREIT WATCHES FOOTBALL. KIRK HERBSTREIT KNOWS FOOTBALL.It was after this interview that I believe Herbstreit lost most of his credibility as a college football "analyst." He blasted Gary Danielson, throwing the CBS analyst's reputation under the bus when he suggested that perhaps Danielson was put up to his short "campaign" stint for Florida during the SEC Championship Game against Arkansas -- by the executive producer."When I was watching that game that they put that graphic up, the only thing I could think of was that the coordinating producer would force them to do something like that to kind of destroy any credibility they'd all built over the years, just obviously by standing up and talking about an SEC school."That is an incredibly arrogant and self-serving personal attack on a colleague who was guilty of nothing more than saying his mind -- something Herbstreit did for weeks after Michigan lost, campaigning day in and day out for a rematch.The only logical conclusion I can reach is that Herbstreit wanted to help his alma mater to avoid Florida. It may sound somewhat like a conspiracy theory, but I'll be darned if I can come up with any other reason.Kirk Herbstreit's final outburst in the interview I'm sure he'd rather forget included this statement: "I would just like to see Michigan and Ohio State go on to do well in their games."Whoops. Michigan was routed by USC and Florida speared the Buckeyes like a helpless wriggling fish.Herbstreit essentially batted a zero here, or a negative, if that's possible. His credibility is shot. The exact opposite of everything he predicted came true.Gary Danielson said all along, "I watch a lot of football too. But you know what? I don't know who the best team is. That's impossible to know. So you go by the resume. And Florida has the resume."Right on, Mr. Danielson. And now Florida has the crystal football, too.ESPN might ought to reconsider their investment in Kirk Herbstreit's couch-potatodom. It didn't appear to pay any dividends in the games that really matter. And Herbstreit himself ought to do some soul-searching after all of this.
This article pretty much sums up why we decided to publish our opinions. We watch college football every Saturday too, Kirk. If that is all the job requires maybe one day we at CFBParadise will get paid "to actually watch college football".
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